America Demonstrates Weakness

Steven LeBlanc

The British Parliament’s stunning refusal to help America attack Syria has left President Obama alone and looking weak in his agenda regarding Syria. The question is asked, “Why can’t America win support from its most trusted ally Britain”? The sharp disagreement with the British over Syria reveals that America is a declining power. This is a dangerous sign; watch as Russia, China and Iran seek to fill the leadership vacuum in the Middle East.

In recent years America has acquired the feeble habit of willing the ends but not the means. We are strong in words but not in follow through. This led to the chaos in Iraq, where we weakly responded to Shi’ite death squads, and in Afghanistan where we lacked the political will to effectively fight against Taliban combatants.

In recent conflicts American politicians have demonstrated again and again the lack of resolve and follow through as we once evidence in World War II. The British Spectator Magazine offers this insight regarding America’s weakness in an editorial entitled, Syria: A war without a purpose (August 31st):

“Barack Obama’s attention lies on the other side of the Pacific, not the Atlantic. He has no stomach for this fight, and is mulling action mainly because he threatened ‘consequences’ if chemical weapons were deployed. Having put his credibility on the line, he has to act.

But such a limited, wrist-slapping response can demonstrate weakness rather than strength. The Taleban were hardly deterred when Bill Clinton’s government fired missiles into Afghanistan in 1998 in retaliation for an attack on American embassies.

The Pentagon has already made it clear that it has no intention of weakening Assad’s regime — perhaps because the idea of jihadis controlling the chemical weapons stashes is even more terrifying. We are, in effect, asking Assad if he would please kill his enemies using conventional means.

This is why the argument for intervention falls so flat: it lacks purpose. In Afghanistan, Iraq and Libya the purpose was to replace dictatorship with an elected leader. In Sierra Leone the aim was to stop the hand-amputating guerrillas laying waste to Freetown. In Syria, the aim is just to make a gesture — to fire Tomahawk missiles towards Damascus to honour Barack Obama’s threat of ‘consequences’ for Assad.”

The Arab nations of Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Jordan are watching closely to see how strong the American response will be to the Syrian threat—so far the leaders of these nations sense American weakness and vacillation. In the interim Syria is fragmenting into jihadist-run “emirates” and an Alawite police state.

God is withdrawing his blessings from our nation because of our rejection of the Ten Commandments. The consequence of our national disobedience is our power within the world is in severe decline. “I will break the pride of your power…”—Leviticus 26:19. America speaks boldly then blunders forward as our political will vacillates and dissipates.